Padlock



May 24 1949- H. E. soREF Erm. 2471,291

PADLOCK Filed sept. v, 194e JNVENTORS 1 Patented May 24, 1949 PADLOCKHarry E. Scref and Daniel J. Foote, Milwaukee,

Wis., assignors to Master Lock Company, Milwankee, Wis., a corporationof Wisconsin Application September 7, 1946, Serial No. 695,357

6 Claims.

This invention relates to padlocks, and it is particularly concernedwith the type of padlock in which a portion, at least, of the casing isof laminated construction, consisting of a plurality of superimposedplates with apertures therein forming spaces for the shackle iegs andfor the key.

One object of the invention is to provide a laminated casing structureadapted to be included in a lock casing and providing a guideway for alocking lever, together with a fixed tumbler for a notched key, all sorelated that the position of the xed tumbler may be varied in theassembly of the lock so that different locks of this type will requiredifferent keys to actuate them.

Another object of the invention is to provide a relatively simpleconstruction for a padlock involving a limited number of parts which areeasily constructed and assembled.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a laminated lockconstruction adapted for use with a removable shackle and including afixed tumbler feature which may be variously positioned in the assemblyof the lock so as to produce a series of locks operable only by acorresponding series of different keys.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing description taken in connection with the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a padlock embodying thisinvention, showing a key inserted therein at operative position.

Fig. 2 is a transverse or plan section taken substantially as indicatedat line 2--2 on Fig. 1 to show the contour of one of the special plateswith which the locking lever is associated.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing an assembly of three specialplates, forming the group in which the locking lever is guided formovement.

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of a spring for the locking lever.

Fig. 5 is a'perspective view of the locking lever.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary View of the lower end of the lock showing therotatable ward plate through which the key is inserted.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary transverse section taken as indicated at theline 'l-l' on Fig. 2, with the key turned 90 degrees.

Fig. Sis a fragmentary section similar to Fig. 7, but showing the fixedtumbler plate ata different location, and showing a fragment of the keyrequired with this assembly. Fig. 9 is another sectional view similar toFig. 7, showing still another position for the fixed tumbler plate andindicating the contour of the ke required with this arrangement,

Fig. 10 is a detail plan view taken as indicated at the line Iil-I onFig. l.

TheV drawings illustrate the invention as embodied ina lock having aremovable shackle IIl with a plurality of notches II in each leg of theshackle, thereby adapting the lock for use as 'a bicycle lock,particularly when the shackle I0 is made to form an elongated loopdimensioned to lit over and embrace various elements of a bicycle frameand drive mechanism. It may be understood, however, that the principlesof the present invention are not limited to padlocks of this particulartype, and may be readily applied topadlocks in which the shackle ispermanently secured in the casing so as to pivot around the axis of oneleg when the other leg is released from the casing.

The casing, as shown, is wholly of laminated construction, but it may beunderstood that the present invention is applicable to a casing in whichonly a portion is of laminated form. As shown, the casing comprises atop plate I2, a bottom plate I3, and a plurality of intermediate plates,

' all similar in external contour to the plates I2 and I3, and securedtogether in superimposed relation by means of rivets, such as thoseshown at I4 in Fig. '7. A lock of this type is intended to be operatedby means of a key, such as that shown at I5, having notches It disposedin pairs in its opposite edges for registration with wards or xedtumblers in certain of the plates, which are the plates indicated at Il,I8 and I9 in Fig. 1. The contour of each of these plates may be thatshown in Fig. l0, in which the keyway 20 is of buttonhole form,including arcuate outlines 22 at opposite sides and notches 23 atopposite ends to permit insertion of the key, with its edgesextendinginto the notches 23. The arcuate portions 22 dene a space onlyslightly larger than the reduced width of the key between notches I6, I6, so that the key can be turnedk only if the notches I5, I6 registerwith these arcuate portions 22, 22 of each plate of this type includedinthe casing. i

The upper end of the key is reduced at 24 and fits into an opening in astop plate 25, disposed next to the end plate I2, so that the shoulders26 formed on the key adjacent its reduced end portion 24 abut and stopyagainst. the portions of the plate 25 adjacent its central opening.Near the other end of the casing a circular ward disk 21 is rotativelycarried in the plate 28 Which is next to the bottom plate I3, and thisdisk has a slot 29 of substantially the same cross-section as the shankof the key; the disk thus serves to center one end of the key when it isinserted in the lock at the position shown in Fig. 1, in which itsopposite and reduced end portion 24 is rotatably guided in the apertureof the plate 25. Clearance for the reduced end 24 offthe key is providedby forming a dome-shaped boss or blister 3|) on the top plate I2 inregistration with the axis of the keyway, as seen in Fig. 1.

All the plates of the casing are formed with openings near their ends,and such openings, when registered in the assembly of the plates,provide guidevvays to receive the two legs of the shackle I0, as shownin Fig. l. Both legs of the shackle are notched so that either of themmay cooperate with a locking member or lever 3| which is normallyprojected into locking position by means of a spring 32 disposed insidethe casing and bearing against the inner end of the lever 3l.Preferably, the lever is equal in thickness to a plurality of theplates, and, as shown, it is nearly as thick as the three plates 33, 34and 35 which constitute a special assembly associated lwith the lever 3I. 'Ihe plates of this group have openings 36 and 31 near their ends toreceive the legs of the shackle I0, and they are also formed withrelatively large registered openings in which the locking lever 3| isslidably accommodated. Said lever has parallel sides 38 and 3S which ritbetween parallel walls 40 and 4| of the openings in the plates 33, 34and 35, and said lever has a beveled surface 42 at one end forengagement with the end of the leg of the shackle l when the latter isinserted and forced past the lever into position for locking engagementof the lever 3| with one of the notches in the shackle leg.

Sliding movement of the locking lever 3| is limited by stop shoulders 43and 44. The shoulders 43 are formed in all three plates 33, 34 and 35,and are aligned vertically, but, if desired, the' stop shoulder 44 maybe formed in only one of the plates, and, as shown, is formed only inthe top plate This plate, as shown in Fig. 3, also includes a xedprojection or tumbler 45 so that when a key is inserted in the lock, inthe position shown in Fig. 1, the key cannot be turned about its ownaxis unless it has a notch registering with the tumbler or projection35, as will be readily appreciated from a consideration of Fig. 2, inwhich the key is shown in section. A key designed to cooperate with thisparticular lock will therefore have such a notch 45, and, preferably,has a pair of similar notches 46 disposed at 0pposite edges, as shown inFig. 1.

When this kelr I is inserted in the position shown in Fig. 1 it will bedisposed as indicated in Fig. 2, and upon being rotated about 90degrees, one side of the key will engage the shoulder 41 of the lever3|, for forcing the lever 3| out of llocking engagement with the leg ofthe shackle I0 in opposition to the spring 32. Such rotation of the keywill be permitted by registration of one of its notches 43 With theprojecting tumbler por- 4 tion 45 of the plate 33, and, due to the factthat the lever 3| is considerably thicker than any one of the plates ofthe laminated structure, a portion of the key adjacent the oppositenotch 46 will aiford suncient area for engagement with the shoulder 4'Iof the lever.

Fig. 7 illustrates the same relation between the key and the lock casingas that shown in Fig. 1, in which the uppermost plate 33 of the specialgroup is the plate which includes the projection or fixed tumblerportion 45.

Figs. 8 and 9 indicate that the plate 33 may be assembled between theplates 34 and 35, or as the lowest plate of the group, if desired, andthat these diierent arrangements will require the use of diierent keys|5X and |55', respectively, in which the clearance notches are properlylocated to register with the projecting tumbler portion 45. It Will alsobe evident that the special group of interchangeable plates in which thelocking lever 3| is housed need not be limited to three plates, asshown, but may comprise more than this number, if desired, in whichevent the lever 3| Will preferably be increased in thickness toapproximate the thickness of the combined group of plates.

It will be understood that in a laminated lock of the type shown in Fig.1 the individual locks will be differentiated from each other bychanging the relative locations of the plates ll, I3 and I9, thusrequiring the keys for the several locks to have their clearance notchesI5 differently located. But by the use of a group of plates, such as theplates v33, 34 and 35, the number of possible changes is tripled, sinceeach arrangement ofthe plates I 1, I8 an I9 can be employed first withthe tumbler plate 33 at the top of the group, then with this plate atthe middle of the group, as shown in Fig. 8, and again with the plate 33as the lowest plate of the group, as shown in Fig. 9. If the groupconsists of four or i'lve plates, the number of changes will becorrespondingly increased. Thus a large number of locks each difreringslightly from the other, and each requiring a different key, may beassembled from similar groups of parts merely by rearranging the orderin which certain of the plates of the body or casing are placed in eachassembly.

In any padlock, and particularly in a bicycle lock, it is desirable toprovide a maximum space between the two legs of the shackle. It will benoted that in the lock illustrated herein the outlines at the oppositeends of each plate or lamination are bulged outwardly at the middleportion and concentrically With the axes of the adjacent legs of theshackle I0. This provides a casing or body which accommodates a shackleof maximum Width without making the casing itself appear unduly Wide,since the visual estimate of width will be determined by the length ofeither of the longer sides of the plate or lamination, the bulgedportion ateach end appearing as an additional and ornamental feature,although it actually does increase the Width available foraccoinmodating the shackle.

While there is shown and described herein certain 'structure embodyingthe invention and il lustrative thereof, it is to be understood that theinvention is not limited thereto or thereby, but includes allmodifications, variations, and equivalents which r'nay come Within thesc'ope of the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. In combination, a padlock which includes a casing having a laminatedportion coin-posed of a plurality of superimposed plates formed withregistered openings, a locking lever approximating in thickness thecombined thickness of said plates and movable in said opening toward andfrom locking position, said lever having an opening to admit a key andhaving a shoulder adjacent said opening, one of said plates having afixed tumbler portion projecting into the opening of said plate, saidplate which has the xed tumbler portion being adapted to Ibe transposedwith any other plate of said group in the process of assembling the lockto produce a lock requiring a different key.

2. In combination, a padlock which includes a shackle having a notchedleg, a body having a laminated portion composed of a plurality ofsuperimposed plates formed with registered openings which provide aguideway for said notched leg of the shackle, a locking leverapproximating in thickness the combined thickness of said plates, saidplates having registered openings in which said lever is movabletransversely into and out of the guideway, said body providing a keywayextending through said last mentioned openings, said lever having anopening registered with said keyway and a shoulder adjacent saidopening, one of the plates having a xed tumbler portion projecting intosaid keyway, said lock being adapted to receive a notched key rotatablein the keyway when positioned with its notch in registration With saidtumbler portion, a part of the key adjacent said notch being engageableWith the shoulder of the lever for actuating the lever when the key isturned.

3. In combination, a padlock which includes a casing having a laminatedportion composed of a plurality of superimposed plates formed withregistered openings, a locking lever approximating in thickness thecombined thickness of said plates and movable in said opening toward andfrom locking position, said lever having an opening to admit a key andhaving a shoulder adjacent said opening, one of said plates having a xedtumbler portion projecting into the opening of said plate, saidregistered openings of the plates having sides with straight parallelportions, and said lever having parallel sides fitting slidably betweensaid parallel sides of the openings, the opening in at least one of saidplates having an outline which includes stop shoulders facing inopposite directions respectively, and said lever having stop shouldersto cooperate therewith for limiting the sliding movement of the lever,said lock being adapted to receive and to be operated by a key formedwith a notch in its edge slightly wider than saidA tumbler portion toclear the tumbler when the key is operated, while an adjacent portion ofthe key engages with the shoulder of the lever for actuating said lever.

4. In the combination deiined in claim 1, said registered openingsincluding portions which form a recess, and a spring pocketed in saidrecess and positioned to urge the lever yieldingly into lockingposition.

5. In combination, a padlock which includes a casing having a laminatedportion composed of a group of interchangeable superimposed platesformed with registered openings which constitute a portion of a keywayin said casing, and a locking lever movable in said registered openingstoward and from locking position, said lever ha ing a shoulderengageable by a key for actuation of the lever, said shoulder extendingsubstantially throughout the combined thickness of said group of plates,one of said plates having a xed tumbler portion projecting into the saidkeyway for registration with a notch in the edge of a key to actuate thelever, said casing including at least one other xed projection forregistration with another notch in the key to determine the operativeposition of the key in the lock, said plate which has the fixed tumblerportion being adapted to be transposed with any other plate of saidgroup in the process of assembling the lock to produce a lock requiringa diirerent key.

6. In combination, a padlock which includes a casing having a laminatedportion composed of a group of interchangeable superimposed platesformed with registered openings which constitute a portion of a keywayin said casing, a locking lever movable in said registered openingstoward and from locking position, said lever having a shoulderengageable by a key for actuation of the lever, said shoulder extendingsubstantially throughout the combined thickness of said group of plates,one of said plates having a xed tumbler portion projecting into the saidkeyway for registration with a notch in the edge of a key to actuate thelever, said casing including at least one other fixed projection forregistration with another notch in the key to determine the operativeposition of the key in the lock, said lock being adapted to be operatedby a key formed with a pair of aligned notches in its opposite edges,each slightly wider than the thickness of said tumbler portion so thatone of said notches will clear the tumbler when the key is operatedwhile the portion of the key adjacent the other notch engages with saidshoulder of the lever for actuating it.

HARRY E. SOREF. DANIEL J. FOOTE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 893,316 Erichson 1 July 14, 19051,020,891 Dowe Mar. 19, 1912 1,490,987 Soref Apr. 22, 1924 2,282,983Lack May 12, 1942 2,409,424 Falk Oct. 15, 1946

